The Lion's Den
by pinkperson
Summary: Squall is in Esthar for business, but Laguna tries to reach out to him. And things get awkward.
1. Chapter 1

Squall stood in Laguna's office with a firm grasp on the paperwork he held in his hands, his lips pursed, and just generally feeling like getting the hell out of there. He'd stayed up late last night helping Cid with some new recruits in the Training Center so he wasn't in the best of moods to begin with. His head hurt, his muscles ached, and he just generally felt like hell. He had rushed to Esthar to deliver some paperwork to Laguna, but it felt more like he was there just to make sure the president didn't do anything stupid. He hated feeling like a babysitter, but it was unavoidable in Laguna's presence.

As Squall thrust the paperwork that Cid had tasked him to deliver towards Laguna, Laguna took it and actually dropped it on the floor behind him, some of the papers scattering away. Squall's jaw dropped in awe as Laguna moved towards him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and telling him that he'd take care of it later.

" _Laguna_ ," Squall hissed, pulling himself out of the president's surprisingly tight grasp, "Cid said that it's _very_ important that you look those over. It's about the upcoming-"

"Ah, ah ah, Squall," Laguna said shaking his hand dismissively as he led the way outside of his office and into the hallway. "What did I tell you about being a worry wart? Just trust me, man. I'll take care of it _later_. Now, let's just go for a walk, okay? Chit-chat a bit."

" _Later_?" Squall's eye twitched at the thought of leaving anything for later. He prided himself in being punctual and it boggled his mind that Laguna, a _president_ , literally didn't take anything seriously. "But-but Cid said -"

"So, how are things at Garden anyway?" Laguna interrupted. "Is Cid working you like a dog? How are you and Rinoa doing? Are you guys taking things slow?"

Usually when Squall came to Esthar, he was quick to accomplish whatever task needed to be done and barely spoke to Laguna at all. Or at least tried to. It seemed that no matter how hard Squall tried to make things quick, Laguna always managed to prolong things as much as possible. He'd ask him about his daily life and his friends and even start talking about his own past, among other random things. Every time Cid told him he had to go to Esthar it was hard for Squall to not feel like he was about to be fed to a bunch of hungry lions. He just couldn't stand talkative people to begin with. Squall preferred to only say what needed to be said. People who spoke just for the sake of speaking grated on his nerves. This was why he generally preferred to speak to Kiros whenever it wasn't necessary that he speak to the president himself. Plus, Kiros was so much more responsible and his personality in general was much less abrasive.

They had begun to walk down a hallway and through the presidential palace on the way towards the exit. As they passed by Kiros and Ward who were walking in the opposite direction, Squall could have sworn he saw Kiros wink at Laguna.

"Everything's fine," Squall muttered grudgingly as they exited the building side by side. He let out a yawn that he'd been holding back since he'd arrived. "Not really. We're fine. And yeah, I guess."

Laguna sighed then. "You're killing me Squall! Come on... Give me the deets!"

"The...deets?" Squall asked perplexed.

"Yeah," Laguna said. "Tell me about your first kiss, the first time you said 'I love you' to her, and stuff like that." He then paused to scratch the back of his head. "Just please tell me you're taking things slow?"

Squall frowned at him then not understanding where this was coming from. "We are, not that there's any reason why you should care."

"Right," Laguna said with a nervous laugh. "Sorry about that. Just being nosy I guess."

As they walked down a path around the city, Squall sneaked a peek at Laguna who was nodding his head to passersby and raising a hand in acknowledgment of people. He had to resist rolling his eyes at his people pleasing attitude. Maybe if Laguna cared so much about what people thought of him, he could actually do the work he's asked to do instead of leaving it for the last second?

Still, Squall couldn't help but watch with interest as they passed by hovering transporters carrying people around the city through large tubes. Despite having visited Esthar many times by now, Squall was always left in awe of the technological advancements of the city. It was truly a marvel to look at. Although it made the fact that a dimwit like Laguna was the president of such a city seem all the more bizarre.

"It's weird being in charge of a whole city," Laguna broke the silence, as though he'd heard Squall's thoughts. "So many people look at me like I'm some kind of god or something. Like I'm not like everyone else. I never even wanted this job, you know. I was pretty okay with just being a soldier. Although I guess a part of me doesn't exactly miss killing people that much either."

"So then what do you want?" Squall asked. He wasn't really interested. He just felt like his input was required.

Laguna looked at him and chuckled. "You of all people know what I want, Squall. I wanted to be a writer. I really like writing stories about love and heartache...just sappy romantic stuff."

"Hmm," Squall said, not knowing what else to say.

"But I guess it wasn't meant to be," Laguna said a bit sadly. "Ah well," he said, brightening up. "All that matters is making the most of what you've got. Don't you think?"

"You know, I just came here to deliver the paperwork. Not talk and walk around aimlessly," Squall said a little more irritably than he meant to.

Laguna turned towards Squall, his face falling. He stopped and Squall stopped with him, the two of them facing each other. "Sorry, I just thought you could use a bit of downtime since you're probably stressed out with your new job."

"It's not that stressful," Squall said, though not with much conviction. The truth was he wasn't getting much sleep and he actually barely even saw Rinoa ever since he'd been appointed the commander. He was constantly being given missions and office work to take care of. He and Rinoa were just trying their best to make the relationship work despite this, although Squall knew it was taking its toll on her. "I could probably use some sleep is all," Squall said, instantly regretting it upon seeing the look on Laguna's face.

Laguna reached out to place a hand on his arm in concern. "Squall, I had a feeling you were being overworked. Every time I see you, you look like you're about to die on the spot."

Squall shifted away from Laguna's touch. "I do not," he said feeling slightly embarrassed that his physical state was that noticeable.

Laguna leaned back and shook his head. "Look, there's no way you can go on like this. You're gonna make yourself sick, bud. You gotta ask Cid to give you a break. No, wait. I'll talk to him." Laguna then grinned at him. "Being the prez comes with its perks. All I gotta do is tell him -"

"Laguna," Squall ground out, suddenly deeply annoyed. "Just forget it, okay? Besides," He looked at his watch eager to find an excuse to leave. "I think it's time for me to go. I came here for business reasons, remember? Not to pretend that we care about each other."

"Right," Laguna said after a beat.

Something in his face almost made Squall wish he could take back what he said. Maybe he'd imagined it, but he thought he'd caught a flash of hurt in the man's eyes. There was something about the way that Laguna looked at Squall at times, his eyes twinkling with some hidden knowledge, that made Squall deeply suspicious of him. It also made him feel like he must mean something to him, although he couldn't fathom what it could be.

"Well, it was nice of you to come over and deliver the paperwork to me. I just love me some paperwork..." Laguna said with a sigh.

"Alright, well, I guess I'd better get going," Squall said, eager to get away from Laguna. He wasn't sure what it was, but the more time he spent with him the more uncomfortable he felt. Maybe it was just that a part of him still hated getting close to people...especially morons. Squall didn't allow Laguna to get another word in as he began stalking off towards the closest exit from the city. But before he could even get out of Laguna's viewing range, his name was called out, making him wince.

 _Dammit_... _what now_?! Squall cursed inwardly.

Laguna caught up to him in just a few seconds with a nervous smile on his face. "Sorry. Just...just wanted to say that if you ever need a place to sleep or whatever, you can stay at my place." He then scratched the back of his neck and Squall saw to his confusion that Laguna was blushing a little. "I mean, we got some pretty comfy beds and you can just chill and watch TV if work gets to be too much. You can bring Rinoa over too if you want." Laguna looked up at him with a hopeful look in his eyes.

Squall ground his teeth and narrowed his eyes. He could feel himself beginning to fall apart at the seams. "Okay, what's the deal?" he snapped. "Every time I come here...every time I see you, you act like we're old buddies or something. I see the way you look at me and it's like you're keeping something from me. And why the hell would I even _want_ to stay here with you? We're like complete strangers, Laguna. Why are you acting like you're my...like you're my..."

Squall couldn't even say it. The word couldn't escape his mouth because it was just too ridiculous to even fathom. He almost wanted to laugh that it had even popped into his mind.

"Like I'm your...?" Laguna looked stricken as even he was unable to say it.

There was an awkward silence as Squall turned his face away not even wanting to look at Laguna. There were now people nearby who had stopped to stare at them mostly due to Squall having raised his voice. Neither of them seemed to care, though.

"Whatever." Squall said finally, wishing that Rinoa herself would magically teleport over here and drag him away from this lunatic. Enduring the embarrassment of seeing him in those stupid dreams was bad enough, but actually having to hold conversations with him was somehow even more distressing.

To Squall's surprise, though, Laguna suddenly also looked uncomfortable as he began rubbing a hand against the side of his face. After a few seconds he stopped and forced as bright a smile as he could manage although it was lacking its usual sincerity. "I don't know, Squall. I guess I just feel lonely sometimes. Being the president gets tough sometimes, you know? It's kind of nice to see you whenever you drop by. And you..." He hesitated then looking very clearly like he was about to say something risky.

Squall however grew interested in what Laguna had to say. "What?" he asked cautiously.

"You...You remind me of Raine." Laguna clearly had difficulty spitting it out although Squall couldn't imagine why. Unless he meant this as some sort of flirtatious thing which would make the man even more irritating, if possible.

"I think I'm gonna go," Squall said coldly, not even knowing why he felt this way. It was like Laguna was trying to tell him something while also holding back. There was something in the back of Squall's mind that was trying to tell him to look deeper into what Laguna was saying, but he did his best to shove it away.

Before Squall could lose his sanity, he briskly turned away from Laguna and marched off not even aware of what direction he was heading in. All he knew was that he had to get away. He had to get away from Laguna's kind eyes, his warm touch, his carefree attitude...He just had to get away now or else he'd tell the man exactly what he thought about him. And honestly he just didn't need that kind of negativity right now. The thought of having to return here to deliver more paperwork or for any other menial task that would lead him to encounter Laguna again almost made him want to crumple up and die.

As Squall exited Esthar he released a shuddering sigh of relief and dropped to his knees on the road that led to the desert. Balamb Garden was parked about a mile away, but for now he just needed to rest. It was true that he was badly in need of sleep. All he could hope for was that when he did sleep he wouldn't dream of a certain president.

And that he wouldn't have to come back here anytime soon.


	2. Chapter 2

"Well, that did _not_ go as planned," Laguna muttered as he watched Squall make a getaway as though he were being chased by a pack of hungry malboros.

It didn't take long before he felt a hand clap his shoulder in support. Laguna turned to find Kiros, who let go of his shoulder and crossed his arms, smiling at him in amusement.

"Hey, it could have been worse, Laguna. He could have…um...well..." Kiros then laughed at the look on his face, shaking his head. "Okay. Well, look on the bright side. He'll most likely be back in the near future. Delivering more paperwork."

"Yay, paperwork…" Laguna said sarcastically. He sighed. "Please don't tell me you saw the whole thing."

"I was right behind you the whole time with binoculars and a camcorder," Kiros said. "Definitely going to sell this to the tabloids."

Laguna glared at his friend, who seemed to be enjoying this a little too much. "Ha ha, very funny. Let's all laugh at a guy who's just trying to get along with his son."

"I'm just kidding around, Laguna. Sorry." The glint of amusement in Kiros's eyes had faded away and was now replaced by genuine concern. "So, do you want to talk about it?"

"Seriously, Kiros. I don't get the kid at all." Laguna began, eager to vent his frustration. "All I freaking did was talk about myself and ask him some questions. Some nice and normal questions that people ask each other. He didn't have to run off like I'm some kind of evil sorceress or something!"

"What exactly did you ask him?" Kiros asked, frowning.

Laguna rolled his eyes. "All I asked him was about Rinoa and Garden and stuff like that. Sheesh..."

"That's all?" Kiros blinked in surprise at that. "Seems a bit strange that he'd run off because of that."

Laguna scratched the back of his neck nervously. Then he groaned hoarsely. "Alright fine! I asked him if he wanted to spend the night here some time with Rinoa." Seeing Kiros cover his face and shake his head, Laguna felt anxiety spread within him. "You think I came on too strong? Should I have waited until after I...you know...told him?"

"Uh, yeah?" Kiros said, as though he were talking to an idiot.

Laguna dropped his head and moaned. "This is so embarrassing...I don't know why I got so carried away. I guess the suspense is getting to me or something."

"Don't worry about it, Laguna," Kiros comforted. "It's totally understandable that you don't want him to feel like an orphan anymore. You thought you'd take advantage of the fact that you were going to see him in order to get to know him better. It happens. Just...maybe you should try to take things slow. You have a tendency to be a bit, well, overbearing at times."

"Overbearing, huh?" Laguna frowned, raising his head. "So, you mean I should just give him some space or something?"

"I mean you shouldn't act like you're his dad before _telling_ him you're his dad," Kiros said.

Laguna nodded in understanding as he fell silent. It didn't take long before he felt as though he were being watched and he looked around to see that there were some people around them looking in his direction. He mustered a weak smile in the direction of one man who was sitting on a bench nearby, but he just continued to stare at him like he was some kind of maniac. It was embarrassing to know that he and Squall had made a scene right in front of the palace.

"Uh, maybe we should head on inside," Laguna suggested. Kiros nodded in relieved agreement.

The two friends walked side by side as they entered the building and began strolling down a hallway towards Laguna's office. The walls were decorated with photos of Esthar both in its initial construction stages and current state, past and current presidents, and some paintings of landscapes. Laguna had wanted to add some brighter colors aside from the cool blue tones of the walls, but he had never followed through on getting that done. He briefly wondered why it was he had a tendency to not accomplish his goals, even if it was something he was passionate about.

"Can you blame me for trying to bridge the gap, though?" Laguna said, feeling more comfortable now that they were inside and away from the public. "I mean I only just found out that I'm a dad. It sucks knowing that Squall's gone his whole life thinking that he's completely alone. I just don't want him to feel like that anymore." Laguna paused, eyebrows creasing in contemplation. "He always looks so tense, like he just can't relax no matter what. It kind of makes me sad, to be honest. He must feel so...abandoned."

 _And I abandoned him...long before he was even born_.

Laguna couldn't help but feel like maybe he didn't even have the right to tell Squall the truth. Maybe Squall would be happier not knowing that someone he clearly can't stand is the father he never knew. The father who is very likely a major reason why he became so reserved and distrustful of others.

"You shouldn't wait too long before you tell him," Kiros said sternly. "Just rip it off like a band-aid."

"Yeah, you're right. The more I put it off, the more convinced I am that he'll slice me in half when I tell him."

He'd seen Squall's gunblade several times before and the weapon itself was intimidating enough—but somehow the young commander who wielded it was even more frightening. His eyes alone were so sharp and intelligent, like he could see right through him. It was no wonder that Laguna had a hard time keeping his composure in his presence.

"And you should have seen the way he was looking at me earlier, Kiros. I mean, yeah, maybe I was being a bit annoying or whatever, but I swear...it's like he hates me or something. And he barely even knows me!"

"Come on..." Kiros began, but Laguna interrupted him.

"No, I'm not exaggerating. I don't know what exactly it is, but it's like he hates my guts. Maybe it's because...I don't know. Maybe it's because we're so different."

"That could be it," Kiros said. "But judging by what I know of Squall, he isn't exactly the friendliest guy in the world in the first place. He's probably just _shy_ , Laguna. And he's got a lot under his belt right now with his new job and everything. It's mostly just the stress, I'm sure of it."

"Maybe..."

Deep down he knew very well what it was. He remembered the way that Squall had practically thrown the papers in his direction, as though the idea of treating him like a human being was inconceivable. He always spoke to him in clipped tones, his eyes darting around, his responses brief and without any enthusiasm whatsoever. Sure, he wasn't a sociable guy to begin with, but Laguna just knew that Squall saw him as some inferior specimen who didn't take anything seriously. Squall didn't even have to tell Laguna in order for him to tell. The worst of it was that Squall wasn't the only one who treated him like this. Like he wasn't exactly the brightest tool in the shed.

Laguna continued to reason with his emotions in his head. Squall did say that he wasn't getting much sleep on top of everything else. There had been dark shadows underneath his red-rimmed eyes and Laguna had definitely caught him yawning at least once. Now that he thought about it, it was likely that Squall's hostility earlier could have been at least partly due to that. He was probably just taking things a little too personally. Feeling a little better, Laguna smiled at Kiros.

"Yeah, you're probably right. Anyway, guess I'll have to think about how I'm gonna break it to him. About...you know."

"Good thinking," Kiros clapped him on the shoulder. "Trust me, Laguna. Everything will be fine in the end. You won't screw things up."

Laguna frowned. "Who said anything about me screwing things up?"

Kiros sighed and threw his hands up. "Hey, I'm just speaking from experience. Don't mind me..."

"Whatever..." Laguna said irritably as they continued down the hallway towards his office. He always knew what Kiros was referring to when he mentioned Laguna 'screwing things up'. That damn cliff incident. It wasn't like he hadn't spent the last eighteen years hating himself for it, or anything. As his thoughts wandered back to the past, he slowly felt a small smile tug at his lips. "You know...he really does remind me of her. Of Raine."

"Oh, really?" Kiros raised an eyebrow at him. "Like mother, like son huh? Now that I think about it, Raine had a bit of a temper too, didn't she?"

"Ugh, don't remind me," Laguna groaned, cringing as he remembered the way she used to scold him for the littlest things, like tracking mud in the kitchen or not washing the dishes. And especially whenever he would baby talk with Ellone. For a second, his heart twinged. Squall was tied to her—and would never know her. He missed Raine even after all this time and it just felt nice to know that she had left something behind for him to remember her by. Laguna felt his eyes water as he grew emotional, forgetting for a moment that he wasn't alone.

"Laguna?" Kiros said, snapping him out of his daze. "You thinking about something?"

Laguna blinked away the tears and forced a smile. "Yeah, I...I guess I spaced out for a bit. Sorry. Was just thinking about her. I...I really miss her, Kiros."

Kiros nodded in understanding. "Nothing wrong with that. Just don't let it make you mopey. You can't fill out paperwork with tears dripping all over them, you know."

Laguna covered his face with his hands as he was reminded once again of his homework. "Man, being a president sucks sometimes. Reading that crap is so boring...and then having to turn page after page. It's like it never ends."

"Well, it does end, so just hop to it," Kiros shot Laguna a look and opened the door to the presidential offices, knowing that his friend would leave the task for the last second if he didn't push him.

"Alright, fine!" Laguna pouted like a child as he stalked into his office and began gathering the papers strewn about on the floor. He dropped the stack of papers onto his desk and sat down. As he got to work, he felt his mind drifting off every now and then, thinking about Raine and what she would think of Squall if she could see him now.

* * *

Squall was lying on his bed staring up at the ceiling, his face scrunched up as he conjured up the image of Kiros winking at Laguna. He was trying to figure out what that could have possibly meant or if he really had just imagined it.

Ever since he'd left Esthar, and even after returning to Balamb Garden and meeting up with Rinoa, he couldn't get Laguna out of his head. Normally their encounters weren't as stressful as this one was. It was most likely in part due to Squall's tired state of mind. Still, he couldn't figure out why Laguna was behaving the way that he was. It was just plain weird. He suddenly wished that he had just ordered the man to spit out what it was that he was hiding from him.

He had told Rinoa that he needed to be alone. She had looked a little concerned and asked him if something was wrong. Squall had assured her that it wasn't anything to worry about. He was just tired and was going to lie down. She had eventually let him go.

He had hoped to be able to clear his mind now that he was alone, but instead all he could think about was Laguna. He honestly dreaded their next encounter. He couldn't run out of Esthar fast enough. It was beyond suffocating having to converse with someone as friendly as Laguna.

But was it just friendliness? Squall wondered. He had kept tossing possibilities in his head as to why the man was behaving like this, but none of them made sense. It couldn't just be that he wanted to befriend him, could it?

Yes, Squall was trying to mend his ways and become a more sociable and approachable person. He wasn't exactly Laguna in terms of friendliness, but he had definitely made great strides forward compared to where he had been just a year ago. Still, the thought of being friends with Laguna irked him.

It wasn't just that he was a goofball. It was the total lack of responsibility for his actions. Being carefree was fine and all, but when it resulted in problems that affected others, that wasn't exactly an admirable trait. And it wasn't _just_ that it affected others, but that it risked their lives. Squall rolled onto his side as he recalled him mentioning Raine. The wife he'd left behind while he returned to his soldier duties. The wife—who died waiting for him to come back to Winhill. For him to say that Squall reminded him of her seemed almost insulting. How else was he supposed to react to that? It was almost like Laguna himself was some sort of living, breathing joke. He had no self-awareness, was just plain childish, and he dressed like he worked at some department store instead of like the president that he was.

Suddenly there was a knock on Squall's door, interrupting his thoughts. He groaned, sat up, and walked over to the door. A part of him was terrified that it would be Laguna. Thankfully, it was only Rinoa.

Rinoa smiled at him hopefully. "Now's not a bad time, is it?"

Squall sighed and then forced a weak smile. "No, it's fine. I feel a bit better now." Mentally, he wasn't telling the whole truth, but he was physically feeling more rested. Lying down had alleviated some of the muscle soreness last night's training center escapade had bestowed upon him.

Rinoa walked inside and sat on his bed. "So how did things go in Esthar? Did you see Laguna and the others?"

Squall sat next to her and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. He had needed time to himself to think about things, but he was now a bit relieved to be able to talk to the person he was closest to about what had happened. "Things went about as smoothly as expected," he said grimly. "I high-tailed it out of there as fast as I could."

"What? Why? What happened?"

"I just felt awkward I guess," Squall said, now feeling a bit embarrassed about the scene he'd probably made. "You know how I feel about going there."

"Did Laguna say something?"

Squall had complained about Laguna to Rinoa before, though he mostly tried to keep his problems to himself. It wasn't until recently that he started to really get annoyed by the man.

"It's not so much what he said. It's just this vibe I get from him. Like he's trying to get something out of me." Squall felt his embarrassment deepen as he remembered the president's offer for him and Rinoa to stay over. "He was being really weird. I mean, he's _always_ weird, but…"

"Squall, you really need to relax," Rinoa said, giving his arm a squeeze. "I'm sure he just wants to get to know you. That's all. After all, you defeated Ultimecia and saved the world. You're kind of a big deal now, don't you think?"

Squall began rubbing his face with the palms of his hands. "You don't get it, Rinoa. He was acting like...like he wants us to be best friends or something. He always does. I felt uncomfortable, so I had to get out of there. I don't know what's wrong with him. Or why he can't just back off. I never give him any reason to think I'd even want a relationship with him, so why does he have to be so damn..." Squall stopped, realizing he was starting to get upset.

"Huh." Rinoa took hold of one of Squall's hands and squeezed it. "I guess that does sound weird. But maybe he's just lonely, Squall. I mean, his wife died a long time ago and Kiros and Ward might be all he's got in terms of close friends. He probably just likes you and wants to get to know you."

Squall grimaced. He had no interest in getting to know Laguna. He had cringed enough at those dreams that he'd experienced. He didn't need his face to be in a permanent cringe due to too much Laguna exposure. "Hyne ...do I really have to be nice to him?" He asked to no one in particular.

Rinoa chuckled as she rested her head against his shoulder. "Yes, Squall, you have to be nice to him. Don't be a grouchy grouch like you usually are."

Squall frowned. "I'm not grouchy," he muttered. He paused a second. "I mean, I saw Kiros wink at Laguna. He _winked_ at him. Why would he do that?"

"You're overthinking, Squall," Rinoa scolded. "I keep telling you, you think too much."

"If you say so," Squall was unconvinced. But her comment about him "thinking too much" made him think back to his very first encounter with Laguna in the dream world. The image of the man in soldier attire limping away with a severely cramped leg almost always popped up whenever he saw or thought of Laguna. He surprised himself by laughing a little. "I don't know how Esthar hasn't burned down to the ground with that guy as president."

"You think you could do better, Mr. Commander?" Rinoa teased.

"I think a blind and deaf chocobo could do better," Squall said dryly.

They sat there like that for a while and eventually their conversation steered towards other topics related to the Garden and Rinoa's last encounter with her father. As time passed, Squall felt himself begin to relax. He always did when he was with Rinoa. Somehow, she had a gift for making him feel comfortable and not so uptight.

 _Unlike Laguna._


End file.
